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<title>Plant Friends (Or: Garak's Second-Favourite Lunch Companion) by ConceptaDecency</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28100718">Plant Friends (Or: Garak's Second-Favourite Lunch Companion)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConceptaDecency/pseuds/ConceptaDecency'>ConceptaDecency</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Friendship, M/M, the next morning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:22:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28100718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConceptaDecency/pseuds/ConceptaDecency</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Garak's second-favourite lunch companion grills him about the changes in his relationship with his favourite lunch companion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elim Garak &amp; Keiko O'Brien, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>153</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Plant Friends (Or: Garak's Second-Favourite Lunch Companion)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I am one of the organisers of <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/justintimefest/profile">Star Trek: Just in Time Fest</a>, an all Star Trek, all media fan fest speculating on the role of TIME in Star Trek. Any work that can remotely be linked to the theme of 'time' is welcome!</p><p>Taking submissions from now until 8 February 2021.</p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/justintimefest/profile">more information</a></p><p>  <a href="https://startrekjustintime.tumblr.com">Just In Time Tumblr</a></p><p>I hope you'll consider participating!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So. You and Julian?" Keiko had ostensibly called into the shop to drop off some promised cuttings from a Romulan ino vine, but the sly grin told another story. "Finally?"</p><p>Garak, who was on the floor, stocktaking (slowly, slowly stocktaking - he'd found it necessary to double and triple-check his figures), looked up from the bolt of purple Tellarite organza he'd been scanning. "Good day, Doctor Ishikawa. I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I have no plans with Doctor Bashir today."</p><p>"Oh, come on, Garak. I don't have to tell <em>you</em> that if two people are seen leaving a party early, and they've walked out together practically in each other's pa- pockets, <em>and</em> they've both been circling around each other like they wanted to eat the other for dinner the last four years, what happened next is pretty obvious." Keiko smiled. "And anyway, Julian's already told Miles everything."</p><p>"You've caught me out." Garak spread his hands in polite defeat. He wasn't sure why he'd even bothered to deny it when he'd <em>seen</em> Keiko watching them leave Commander Dax's birthday party. Habit, he supposed. Hard not to fall into the ingrained practice of deny, deny, deny, especially when one was operating on approximately three hours of sleep. He hated to admit it, but he was not a young man anymore, and Julian, unsurprisingly, had been very energetic. Not that it hadn't been worth it. "Although I'd be surprised if Chief O'Brien allowed Doctor Bashir to tell him <em>everything</em>."</p><p>"And <em>I'd</em> be surprised if Julian allowed you to call him 'Doctor Bashir' last night," Keiko smirked.</p><p>"Very well," said Garak, mock-annoyed, though, surprisingly even to himself, he was enjoying Keiko's fond interrogation. It was pleasant to be able to speak about Doctor Bashir — <em>Julian</em> — in this way to another person. "Yes, <em>Julian</em> spent the night in my quarters. I hope your next question is going to be about the salten melons, because yes, they will be ripening soon, and if the arboretum microclimate truly cannot be adjusted to more Cardassian conditions, then we are going to have to source a portable dehumidifier or they <em>will</em> be inedible."</p><p>"Already done. Did I mention I have an in with the chief of operations?"</p><p>Oh. "Please thank Chief O'Brien for me," Garak said, though he made a note to thank the chief himself, somehow, as soon as was able. He doubted the chief would appreciate the salten melon salsa he was already planning to present to Keiko once the melons were harvested, though, so he'd have to think of something else when he was less fatigued.</p><p>"I will. So, if you aren't meeting Julian for lunch does that mean you're free to eat with me? Now? Because Molly's at a bowling lesson that ends in forty-five minutes and I'm famished."</p><p>No doubt she'd want to talk more about Julian. Garak set his scanner down on the pile of fabric he'd been in the process of cataloguing. He didn't love leaving the shop a mess, but if Keiko was free now, that was that. "I'd be delighted. The usual place?" He began to haul himself up from his cross-legged position on the floor. Gingerly, because the night before had been athletic and some of Garak's muscles had this morning made him aware that he'd been sadly neglecting his exercise.</p><p>"Let's go somewhere quieter this time," said Keiko, offering a hand up, which Garak accepted. "Maybe get sandwiches and eat in the arboretum. We've got a lot to talk about."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just wanted to write Keiko and Garak being plant friends.</p><p>Comments and kudos make me happy and productive!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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